NEW YORK (AP) — Delta Air Lines Inc. will begin flying between Newark, N.J., and Paris on Saturday as it seeks to become the biggest airline in the New York City-area travel market.

In Newark, Delta will take on United Airlines, which inherited a hub operation at Liberty International Airport when it bought Continental in 2010, forming United Continental Holdings Inc.

Delta is also investing in other airports around New York, a key market for lucrative business travel. The airline, which is based in Atlanta, last week opened a new, $1.4 billion terminal at John F. Kennedy International Airport, the busiest gateway to the U.S. for international travelers.

At JFK, Delta carries more arriving international travelers than any other airline, according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the local airports. United dominates with about half the flights at Newark. At New York's LaGuardia Airport, Delta is the biggest, topping American Airlines, when excluding regional affiliate airlines such as American Eagle.

"Our new flight from Newark to Paris is a continuation of Delta's effort to be the pre-eminent carrier for the New York area," Delta senior vice president Bob Cortelyou said in a statement.

Delta will run one daily flight in each direction, with the eastbound flight leaving Newark's Liberty Airport at 6:50 p.m. local time, and the westbound flight departing Charles DeGaulle Airport at 1:30 p.m. local.

*We welcome your comments on the stories and issues of the day and seek to provide a forum for the community to voice opinions. All comments are subject to moderator approval before being made visible on the website but are not edited. The use of profanity, obscene and vulgar language, hate speech, and racial slurs is strictly prohibited. Advertisements, promotions, spam, and links to outside websites will also be rejected. Please read our terms of service for full guides